Plate-clamping mechanism for printing presses



Aug. 5, 1924.

W. EVENSEN PLATE CLAMPING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING PRESSESA Filed Nov, 28, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet l w/////////! if g ,l

Aug. 5 1924.

w. EVENSEN PLATE CLAMPING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING PRESSES Filed Nov. 2a. 192s 2 sheen-sheet a Patented Aug. 5, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM EVENSEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE GOSS PRINTING PRESS COMPANY, F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

PLATE-CLAMPING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING PRESSES.

Application led November 28, 1923. Serial N"ot 677,427.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM EvENsEN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and' useful Improvements in Plate-Clamp ing Mechanism for Printing Presses, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in means for clamping in place stereotype plates upon a cylinder of a printing press, and it has for its leading object the providing of improved means for positively and simultaneously adjusting two alined clamps to bring them into operative or releasing position relatively to the stereotype plates onthey cylinder, and which clamps by a singlel operation of an adjusting means may be spaced at different distances apart to properly accommodate between them plates of different width. This objectV I accomplish by the means shown in the drawings and hereinafter described. That which I believe to be new will be pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings,--

Fig. 1 is a plan View of a portion of a plate cylinder provided with my improvements, portions of the plates that are shown in conection with the cylinder being broken away;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section taken at line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fi 3 is a View similar to Fig. 2, but showing the clamping means moved out of plate-holding position;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the operating rod that passes loosely through the inner clamping member and by means of adjustable abutments that it carries controls the position of such clamping member;

Figs. 5 and 6 are enlarged cross-sectional views taken respectively on lines 5-5 and 6-6 of Fig. 2; and

Figs. 7 and 8 are, respectively, perspective views of the outer and inner movable clamping members.

Referring to the several figures of the drawings,-l0 indicates an ordinary plate cylinder mounted in the usual manner upon a shaft 11. vAt its transverse central portion the cylinder is provided with an annular abutment 12 against which the inner ends `of the plates at each side of that center abut as usual, such member 12 being beveled in the usual manner to correspond to the bevel on the edge of the plates. Two plates are shown on the cylinder at one side of such central abutment, and the inner one, or that that lies against such abutment, is indicated by a, and the other or outer plate by b. 13 indicates slots in the surface of the cylinder and extending longitudinally thereof, in which are slidably mounted a plurality of clamps as usual which project between the adjacent edges of the plates a and b for aiding in clamping such plates in place on the cylinder, as is understood. 15 indicates other and similar longitudinally-extending slots in the surface of the cylinder and in alinement with the previously-mentioned slots, in which slots 15 are slidably mounted other clamps, indicated by 16, which are adapted to engage with the outer edge of the outer plate b. Each two alined slots 13, 15, in the construction shown, are connected by a passage 17, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and extending through each of such passages and projecting into the slots 13 and 15 that are in alinement therewith is an operating rod 18. As the several operating rods 18 are alike and are each connected with like parts a description of one will of course suffice. Intermediate of its ends the rod is, as clearly shown in Fig. 4, provided with a long slot 19 into which projects the end of a short screw-threaded plug 20 that is secured in the wall of the cylinder. Such plug 20 will, of course, prevent any turning of the rod 18, but will permit its free longitudinal movement, as will be understood. At its inner end portion the rod 18 is screwthreaded for a considerable distance, such screw-threaded portion passing through but not engaging with a bore 21 in the clamp in contact with the clam 14 when such clamp is to be moved into p ate locking posi-` tion and the nut 24 bein adapted to be moved into contact with suc clamp in order that it shall be moved into position to allow ofthe removal or placing in position of the plates,y as more fully described hereinafter. A. ainst each of the nuts 23, 24 will prefer-v ab y be screwed a set nut, as shown.

254 indicates a long screw lying in one of the slots 15 in the cylinder, said screw having threaded engagement with a screwthreaded bore 26 extending through one of the clamp blocks 16 that engages the outer edge of the outermost plate b. As clearly shown in Fig. 2,-each of the screws 25 has its inner end portion hollow, as at 27, such hollowed portion being screw-threaded to receive and engage with the screw-threaded end 28 of one ofthe rods 18. The exterior threads of the screw 25 are much coarser than the interior screw threads-preferably there being nine threads to the inch on the exterior and eighteen to the inch on the interior, with the result, of course, that 'when the screw is turned the clamp 16 will be moved longitudinally of the cylinder twice as rapidly as will the clamp 14, as will be more fully described hereinafter. 29 indicates a semi-circular head at the end of the cylinder, the two semicircular heads contacting at their diametric edges and each head being so mounted with relation to the .cylinder that it may be moved away from the end of the cylinder as shown in Fig.

3, or be moved up against such end as 1n Fig-2, and connected with each of these heads are the series of screws 25 shown in the drawings, and it will be evident that a drawing away from the cylinder of the head as in Fig. 3 will result in so drawing back the various movable clamps as to perinit the plates a and b to be removed from the cylinder. As such heads 29'for this purpose are old in the art I have not deemed it necessary to illustrate or describe the means by which they are attached and locked in place. It is also old to provide a coiled spring, such as shown at 30, for normally exerting an inward pressure upon the screws that connect the heads with the clamps 16, such springs being provided to insure perfect contact between such clamps and the plate t notwithstanding any slight irregularities i'n the edge of such plate.

In use the several screws 25 will be turned by a socket wrenchor other tool to cause. a proper spacing yapart of the clamps 14 V'and 16 that each screw actuates, so that after such adjustment has been made the several clamps will properly engage and hold the plates a, b whenever the heads 29 are moved up against the'end of the cylinder as shown in Fig. 2. It will be 'understood that while continuing to use plates of the same width there will be no need of making independent adjustments -of the clamps 14 and 16 because the inward and outward movement of the heads 29 will always carry such clamps into proper operative and inoperative positions. When, how.- ever, plates of a different width from those theretofore used '.are to be used on the cylinder the screws 25 are to be separately rotated to eifect new adjustments of the clamp blocks 14 and 16. If, for example, it be desired to use wider plates on the cylinder each screw 25 will be turned 'to draw back its clamp block 16 toward the end of the cylinder. Such turning of the screw will, by reason of its internal threads being in engagement with the screw-threaded end portion 28 of the rod 18', also cause an endwise movement toward the end of the cylinder of that rod,` but such movement of the rod will necessarily be less than the movement of the clamp block 16 owing to the diii'erence in the number of threads to the inch between the exterior and interior of the screw 25. Such endwise movement of the rod 18 will not, however, affect the clamp block 14 until the nut 24 has been drawn into contact with it', b ut after such contact has been made the clamp block 14 will move in unison with the'clam block 16, but, of course, at only one-halfp the speed of the clamp block 16 when the number` of screw threads on the exterior of the screw 25 is half as many to the inch as the screw threads on the interior thereof. The clamp block 14 is to be moved sufiiciently to provide something more than the Anecessary space between it and the fixed abutment 12 for the reception of a plate that is to be clamped between those parts, such additional space over that required for the plate itself being for the purpose of enabling such plate to'be readily inserted in place. So moving-the clamp block 14 suiiicientlyto receive such wider .plate between it and the fixed abutment 12 will, of course, result in the clamp block 16 'being moved quite considerably farther than is really necessary to receive the wider plate that is to be held between it and the clamp block 14, but Athat is immaterial because after both ofsuch wider plates have been placed on the cylinder the screws 25 will be reversely rotated so as to inwardly move the clamp blocks 16 and 14 that each controls. The clamp block 16 as it is thus moved inward will come into contact with the newly-placed wider plate b and force it inward toward and a amst the clamped in position, and .when their removal is desired there will be no necessity for rotating the screws 25, because the desired releasing of the clamps will be accomplished` the heads 29, as described. As shown in Fig. 3 the nut 24 that lconstitutes the abutment that strikes against the clamp block 14 and moves'such clamp block toward the end o f the cylinder when the head 29 is drawn awa from. the cylinder is so positioned on tlie 13 to permit the inner lplate a to be readily removed and another one substituted for it.

By my invention each set of alined clamps will be always held spaced apart to approximately 'the required extent to receive between them a plate of of .any predetermined width, and the clamp blocks 14 will be likewise held spaced from the ixed central abutment 12, and both of such -clamping blocks will be caused to. operatively engage theplates by a single inward movement of the head 29. A further feature of advantage pertaining to the invention is that whenever it is desired to dispense with the .cause the clamp block 14 to outer plate, such as b, and print only from the inner plate, such inner plate `can be locked in place and released from locked position in just exactly the same manner as if the said outer plate were present on the cylinder, for it will be evident that the drawing back of the head 29 from the end of the cylinder will, through the nut 24, e drawn away from such plate as before described, whereas the moving of 'the head up against the end of the cylinder will carry the nut 23 against said clamp block and thus move such clamp block tightly against said plate.

What I claim as my invention and desire to,secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination lof a plate cylinder, plate clamps carried thereby and movable longitudinally thereof, and means for adjusting said clamps to different relative positions simultaneously but at different speeds. Y

2. The combination of a plate cylinder, two plate clamps carried thereby and movable longitudinally thereof, and rotatable means for adjusting said clamps to diEerent relative positions simultaneously but at different speeds.

rod v18 that it will move said' clamp block far enough along in its groove 3.The combination of a "plate cylinder, two plate clamps in alinement with each other on said cylinder' and movable longitudinally thereof, and` rotatable means for adjusting said clamps to different relative positions simultaneously 'but at different speeds.

4. The combination of a platevcylinder, two plate clamps carried thereby and movable longitudinally thereof, and rotatable adjusting means for first moving one of said clamps and thereafter moving both of said clamps in the same direction simultaneously but at different speeds to change the distance between them.

5. The combination of a plate cylinder, two plate clamps carried thereby and movable longitudinally thereof, and adjusting means operatively. connected with both of said clamps for successively moving them in the same direction.

6.. The combination of a plate cylinder, two plate clamps carried thereby and movable longitudinally thereof, and adjusting means operatively connected with both of said clamps for successively moving them in the same direction and thereafter continuing to move them simultaneously.

7. The combination of a plate cylinder, two plate clamps carried thereby and movable longitudinally thereof, a vscrew device extending through a threaded opening in one of said clamps and adapted when turned `to move such clamp, and other means connected with and actuated by said screw device for moving said second clamp in the same direction as the first clamp but over a shorter distance.

8. The combination of a plate cylinder, plate clamps carried thereby and movable 105 longitudinally thereof, of a screw device having two sets of threads that vary as to the number per inch, one set of said threads engaging with one ofA said clamps, and means actuated by the other set of threads 110 for engaging with said other clamp, whereby said screw device when rotated will move both of said clamps simultaneously in the same direction but at different speeds.

9. The combination of a plate cylinder, 115 two plate clamps carried thereby and movable longitudinally thereof, an adjusting device carried by said cylinder, and means for operatively connecting said device with each of the clamps, the connect-ing means for one 120 of the clamps operatively engaging it only after the other clamp has been moved.

10. The combination of a plate cylinder, two plate clamps carried thereby and movable longitudinally thereof, a clamp-adjust- 125 ing device carried by said cylinder and also l extending longitudinally thereof, said device 4passing loosely through one of said clamps, and means on said'device ladapted Yto contact with said last-named clamp after 139 said clamp-adjusting device has made a partial operatlve movement.

11. The combmatlon of a plate cylinder, plate clamps carried thereby and movable 5 longitudinally thereof, of a hollow screw having exterior and interior threads, the

threads on the interior being of a different;

number to the inchthan those on the exterior, the exterior threads' being in engagement wlth one of said clamps, a screw- 'threaded non-rotatable rod in *engagement named clamp. v

WILLIAM EVENSEN. 

